Planetary Impact Ventures

Today and tomorrow Planetary Impact Ventures is taking part in the Responsible Leaders Innovation Forum in Berlin. Reach out to Morten Koefoed if you want to learn about how we address impact investments at Planetary. https://lnkd.in/d2dum4pA

Today we are announcing our investment THE ORGANIC CRAVE ®, a food start-up dedicated to developing snacks and foods that are rich in legumes.    THE ORGANIC CRAVE ® supports the structural transformation of agriculture in Europe, as they create at market for legume-based products. Their products demonstrate how it is possible to consume high amounts of plant-based protein in an attainable and delicious way. Organic Crave currently sells its lentil chips in Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, while establishing themselves as a positive example of how we can create new plant-based foods.    Their products also offer a healthier nutritional profile, by having lower amounts of fat, and a higher content of protein and fiber. They serve as a healthier alternative to the conventional snack options, by being organic and clean label.    Thank you for letting us be a part of your important mission. https://lnkd.in/dCF7HVUQ

Last week we took part in the Funding Bazaar from DTU Science Park. Planetary Impact Ventures was invited to “taste its own medicine” and pitch our fund to startups looking for funding. It was a great opportunity to present how our fund differentiates from classic VC’s and how we target our investments towards a new breed of startups that are aiming to develop business models that can operate inside planetary boundaries. Thomas Høgenhaven Mikkel Lehmann Morten Koefoed

“I believe we must start by acknowledging what the planet can and cannot sustain. Ignoring planetary boundaries and focusing solely on economic growth will eventually leave us with no returns.” – Thomas Høgenhaven, Managing Partner, Planetary Impact Ventures. At Planetary Impact Ventures, we are seeking to pioneer investments that create the prerequisites for replenishing the natural systems that support life on Earth. From soil regeneration to plant-based food, we believe long term economic returns can only come from working within planetary boundaries. For too long, the models of venture capital has been stagnant. We need new financial models to support and finance a new generation of founders who strive to create business models that can thrive within planetary boundaries. Thank you to CXO Magasinet & PwC Danmark for sharing our perspectives on investments.

Foodture - Food for our future, one of our portfolio companies, is raising a round to scale up production and launch new products. In Denmark, the official nutrition advices recommend 100 grams of legumes per person per day. Today, the average Dane buys 8 grams per day. We need to get to 100 grams fast to reduce our huge footprint from industrial animal production. Foodture does exactly this by fermening locally sourced legumes into tasty products.

At the Planetary office, we have created a small, trust-based bookshop, inviting guests, visitors, colleagues and partners to explore progressive perspectives on the regenerative movement and the ecological crises we are facing.    In collaboration with Forlaget Virkelig, everyone is now able to explore topics like regenerative agriculture, the human impact on geology, or a more philosophical take on nature through ecological integrity and nature criticism.    It is our goal to inspire meaningful reflections and conversations, creating a deeper understanding of our relationship with the planet. The bookshop is only open during office hours - at least for now.

Planetary has gotten a new visual identity – designed by 1508 and created in a collaborative process based on Planetary’s values and guiding principles. In this work, we have worked to ensure that our roots will remain deeply embedded in the ground.   Together with 1508, we have worked towards finding the expression that best reflects what we have been since the beginning and are still working every day to be: an investment fund and a community that invests in and nurtures courage to challenge unbalanced structures, in search of a truly sustainable being with nature.   You can find snippets here on LinkedIn: the font of our new logo, with ligatures and serifs reaching downwards and outwards, representing grounding and our connection to other parts of nature; and in our cover, part of an illustration of lichen to represent the inspiration we find in natures’ symbiotic processes and beings. Much more is to be found on our website, updated by Andreas B., using 1508’s design: www.planetary.dk   If you are a startup looking to contribute to a regenerative food and agriculture system, make sure to reach out.  We also welcome new investors in Planetary for our next closing in November 2024. Contact us to learn more.

Are you curious to learn more about impact investments? Koen van Seijen is doing an excellent job via his podcast Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food. Koen recently celebrated his 300th episode and that is a great place to start if you are interested; https://lnkd.in/dX7_AiUC Thanks for the great work Koen + team and here's to the next 300 🍻 !

Vi glæder os til Folkemødet og håber vi ses! 🌞 Foto: folkemoedet.dk

We are happy to announce our investment in Novobiom from Belgium - our first international investment! 🍄   Novobiom can be a leading force in harnessing fungal biotechnology for cleaning up soil and managing waste in a way that’s more aligned with natures principles. Their innovative approach mimics nature's own recycling processes, converting waste into valuable resources and paving the way for a more sustainable future. Along with Noshaq and Circular Innovation Fund, among others, we took part in a EUR 2.0m seed round to allow Novobiom to further develop their organisation and solutions. Novobiom’s CEO and Co-Founder Jean-Michel Scheuren says about the fundraise: “With these funds, we will expand our innovative solutions in the soil remediation sector and drive impactful changes within textile recycling thereby further unlocking the potential of biotechnology to support the transition towards a circular and biobased economy.” Thank you for letting us into your company and important mission – we look forward to contribute.